Demotivated practice managers consider new career as vacancies rise 12%

Exclusive GPs face a potential recruitment ‘timebomb’ to replace practice managers leaving the profession due to stress, as agencies report a 12% increase in vacancies since January.

LMC leaders warn their practice managers are struggling under an ‘unprecedented’ workload since the introduction of the Government’s NHS reforms, and that practices may have to share staff in the future in order to survive.

A new survey of 471 practice managers reveals that two-thirds are considering a new career and the vast majority are feeling ‘demotivated’ in their current job.

It comes as practice manager organisations warn that large number of practice managers, like their GP counterparts, are in their late fifties and considering early retirement.

Recruitment agency First Practice Management has recorded an average 12% rise in practice manager vacancies advertised on its website since the start of the year.

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Group general manager Chris Ibbetson told Pulse: ‘We have seen an average 12% increase in the number of practice manager vacancies posted on the First Practice Management website since the start of the year.’

Josiane Wadey, chair of the West Sussex Practice Managers Association, said she was increasingly hearing practice managers talk about leaving the profession since the implementation of the reforms.

She said: ‘Increasingly I hear practice managers say “time to change my career” or “I just can’t keep on top of it all” or “who else feels like they are drowning?” For clinical commissioning to work, we need to have excellent practice manager leadership as well as clinical leadership. The practice managers are the ones that just get the job done.’

Practice Management Association chair Russell Vine, who represents 8,000 GP practice managers in England, said practice managers were dealing with ‘mounting pressure’ and as a large number are in their late fifties they were considering early retirement.

Mr Vine said: ‘While the loss of these people has not yet started, I don’t think it is far off.’

Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Institute of Healthcare Management, said the role of practice managers had changed with the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act.

She said: ‘They are having to develop new skills and learn how to do things differently in addition to dealing with the day-to-day requirements of the role.’

In Birmingham, small and medium-sized GP practices faced the risk of not being able to recruit good practice managers, and may have to merge or form larger partnerships in response, local leaders said.

Dr Bob Morley, executive secretary of Birmingham LMC, said: ‘The volume and breadth of work that practice managers are now having to cope with is unprecedented. They are having to deal with everything connected to the CQC, QOF and contract changes, commissioning CCG, support GPs workload, do HR and deal with revalidation.’

‘Small and medium sized practices are not going to be able to afford the calibre of practice managers they need without working with other practices,’ he added.

Readers' comments (18)

We don't need Practice Managers when we have the likes of Jeremy Hunt and Paul Dacre (Editor of The Daily Mail) making everything clear to us. Hail Hunt, Hail Hunt, long live Hunt (and his wingman Dacre)

I agree with the above. Thank goodness that The Daily Mail can help and advise us, their skilled journalists ( many with English Literature degrees even) ready to explain difficult concepts to us and counterbalance our greed and money grabbing evil master plans to prey on society. They have no interest in circulation figures or manipulating opinion with factual distortions and just seek the purest truth. I pray for Paul Dacre's continued political longevity.

As a business manager i can confirm that we have never been busier coupled with the sea of change so liquid, with all support so diminished, with so few people in CCGs and LTA's, black holes appearing, CQRS going backwards, CQC threatening, politicians in cloud cockoo land, Daily Mail in full flight what do we expect...

The exodus has started !! We are not worthy of the public or Hunt so we should all do the honourable thing and go.......I fantasise about leaving medicine. this job has ruined my physical health and well being/happiness. Being a GP these days is like donating both kidneys.....at first you feel altruistic, then you just feel uraemic.

I find Pulse the most amazingly reassuring read.Every time I wonder if my decision to resign from my partnership was wrong all I have to do is read Pulse and I feel totally reassured.Why would you let your job destroy your physical health and well being/happiness?Thank you Pulse

What a load of tosh, I've worked in 5 different NHS GP practices and also the 'private sector' - overall practice managers are overpaid and lazy. Most could not get a job in the real private sector - ie no nhs pension. They are one of the reason we are in this mess - we need better personal under GP guidance to get us out of this mess. Good riddance to dead wood